The 6th Missouri Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was formed on August 26, 1862, when two existing units were combined. Later that year, the regiment was then lightly engaged at the Battle of Iuka and saw heavy action at the Second Battle of Corinth. In 1863, the regiment was engaged at the Battle of Port Gibson, and was part of a major charge at the Battle of Champion Hill. After a defeat at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge, the regiment took part in the siege of Vicksburg, where it saw heavy fighting. The siege of Vicksburg ended on July 4 with a Confederate surrender; after being exchanged, the regiment combined with the 2nd Missouri Infantry to form the 2nd and 6th Missouri Infantry (Consolidated). The 6th Missouri Infantry ceased to exist as a separate unit.
Organization
The 6th Missouri Infantry was mustered on August 26, 1862, at Guntown, Mississippi, as the result of consolidation of several existing units. The bulk of the regiment came from Erwin's Battalion, although Hedgpeth's Battalion also contributed. Two artillery batteries who had not been issued cannons were reclassified to infantry; the men of these two batteries were merged into the 6th Missouri Infantry. The regiment's first colonel was Andrew Eugene Erwin, former commander of Erwin's Battalion. Isaac Newton Hedgpeth, former commander of Hedgpeth's Battalion, was appointed lieutenant colonel; Joseph P. Vaughn was the regiment's original major. On the date of muster, the regiment's original organization was:
Company "A": Cass County, Missouri and Jackson County, Missouri. Commanded by Francis M. McKinney. Company "B": Jackson County, Missouri and Lafayette County, Missouri. Commanded by Samuel F. Taylor. Company "C": Boone County, Missouri and Howard County, Missouri. Commanded by Stephen Cooper. Company "D": Cape Girardeau County, Missouri and Stoddard County, Missouri. Commanded by Albert A. Woodard. Company "E": Jackson County, Missouri and Johnson County, Missouri. Commanded by Jeptha Duncan. Company "F": Cass County, Missouri and St. Clair County, Missouri. Commanded by John M. Wiedemeyer. Company "G": Clay County, Missouri and Platte County, Missouri. Commanded by John B. Clark. Company "H": Howard County, Missouri. Commanded by John M. Hickey. Company "I": Cape Girardeau County, Missouri and Scott County, Missouri. Commanded by John D. Parsons. Company "K": Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, Ripley County, Missouri, Wayne County, Missouri, and Arkansas. Commanded by Alvah G. Kelsey.
Companies "A", "B", "C", "E", "F", "G", and "H" contained men from Erwin's Battalion. Companies "I" and "K" were from Hedgpeth's Battalion, and Company "D" was composed of the men from the two artillery units.
Component units
Hedgpeth's Battalion had been formed in April 1862 when several elements of the Missouri State Guard, commanded by militia officer M. Jeff Thompson, were transferred to Fort Pillow and Fort Pickering near Memphis, Tennessee. The battalion served on Confederate States Navy ships during the Battle of Plum Point Bend on May 10, and later became part of the First Confederate Infantry Regiment on July 10. On August 25, the battalion was detached from the 1st Confederate Infantry, and became part of the 6th Missouri Infantry on August 26. Erwin's Battalion had been organized on May 16, 1862 by consolidating Clark's Missouri Battalion and Rosser's Missouri Battalion. The battalion performed garrison duty at Corinth, Mississippi until the Confederates evacuated the town at the end of the month. Afterwards, the battalion performed guard duty in northern Mississippi until the unit became part of the 6th Missouri Infantry on August 26. Harris's Missouri Battery had entered Confederate service on January 1, 1862. After participating in a skirmish near Sikeston, Missouri on February 28, the battery transferred to Fort Pillow. Since the battery did not have cannons, it served as infantry; seeing action at the Battle of Plum Point Bend on May 10. On July 2, the battery was merged into Hedgpeth's Battalion, although about 60 men were detached to man the cannons of the ironclad CSS Arkansas on July 15. On August 26, the battery became part of the 6th Missouri Infantry. McDonald's Missouri Battery had officially joined the Confederate States Army on March 13, 1862, although many of the men of the battery had seen prior service in the Missouri State Guard. On April 28, the battery's cannons were transferred to the Arkansas Appeal Battery, and McDonald's Battery was sent to Fort Pillow. After seeing action at the Battle of Plum Point Bend on May 10, the battery served as infantry and became part of the 6th Missouri on August 26.